Momentum on the Internet; or, I Choose To Celebrate

I’m about ten views away from hitting my 5,000 view milestone with this blog. That’s taken me two years–give or take–but the first year was pretty much practice. For the first year, or so, I only posted very sporadically. I was trying to post the Lepterians novel, and the total number of posts was probably in the neighborhood of three or four a month.

I mention this because I really don’t know whether that’s a good record, or a bad record, or if there are people laughing at me from behind the internet while I celebrate something miserably pathetic. I know, of course, that it’s still microscopic in the grand scheme of things.

What I don’t know is how it compares to other writers’ experiences. Objectively, there’s a big question mark there.

I feel behind. I feel as though two years should amount to more than that, or that maybe, I just haven’t hit that magic formula of personality and content, yet. I feel like I need a podcast, a YouTube channel, and maybe some guy in a big chicken costume, handing out brochures on the street.

And, at the same time, I feel overwhelmed and grateful that that many people are paying attention. I’m celebrating. Of course, I am. It’s taken me a long time, and most of that time was outside my comfort zone.

So, tell me about your experiences. Are there certain milestones you celebrate? Achievements you weren’t expecting–that a-ha! moment–that I should be looking forward to? Are there things you’d do differently, if you were back where I am now, looking to do it over again?

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5,000 views sounds pretty impressive to me! I’m afraid I can’t give you any advice, but I celebrate each little milestone: my first view, my first day with ten, twenty, or thirty views, my first 100 views, my first 100 unique users…

Well, I’ve gotten almost 8,000 views… in… six years. And a lot of that was my mom herding people into my corner, bless. So I’m not going to bother to do the math, but you’re doing fine in my book! I’m glad you’ve gotten the attention you have, and think you deserve more.

Still looking for that formula, myself. I wonder if internet marketing is all it’s cracked up to be, then I realize I feel just as embaressed to pitch my book IRL. The fact is, I’d rather all my pitches to be a matter of finding out the prospective customer likes fantasy, and and sandwiching my book with other recommendations that I’d be nearly as happy (if much less paid) for them to pick up and love.

But popularity doesn’t work like that. Or it might, if I had a big enough audience, but–oh look, right back to the beginning, we are.

Thank you! I appreciate the information and the compliment. You’re braver than I am. I haven’t shared the website with my mom, or with most of the people I know in real life. I’m not actually sure if that helps me or hurts me, but I don’t have a lot of expectations behind me, so it cuts down on the embarrassment. For me, anyway. I have a hat with the website embroidered on it, and it’s still sitting in the box. I don’t have the nerve to wear it, yet. Maybe I need a dry run in a different town, or something!